Illustration, Art Journals, Photography, and anything that moves me!

Friday, April 16, 2010

The Artistic Timeline, by Micheal Demeng

Michael says this so wonderfully, I totally share in this belief of sharing and growing as artists.  Thank you Michael!

The Artistic Timeline

"I have always held the FIRM belief that artistic ideas belong to no one single person.  I have always held the firm belief that Art grows from the ideas of others.  If it didnt' we would still be drawing in the mud.  Ever single art that has ever existed comes from a gradual development of a concept or a technique.  Art movements are about artists working on a similar theme, but from those themes come individuality.  If you look at the Renaissance with blurred vision you it would seem that all the artists were sort of copying each other...and guess what, they were.  Of course, I tend to think of it less of copying and more of "learning" from new ideas.  If you look closely you start to notice subtleties in each artists work.  Bosch and Bruegel are very similar...but look closer and they are not.  That is the point, there is no possible way for them to be identical, no two minds will never be able to create exactly the same thing (unless you are a forger which is a different kind of thing altogether).  Art movements are about trends that are interesting or pertinent to the time of the creations.  If there wasn't a fair amount of "learning" from each other there would be no such thing as an art movement.  Otherwise Raphael would be doing Renaissance painting while DaVinci would have invented Abstract Expressionism...its not what happens.  Artists grow, and expand on the ideas of other Artists.

Now I'm going to pull out a quote from Picasso...well at least it has been attributed to him "Good artists borrow.  Great artists steal."  The reason this is important is that an artist's role is to move ideas forward.  The way they do this is by paying attention to what's going on around them.  I promise you that Michelangelo was well aware of what Raphael was doing and vice versa.    I view art as a science.  Like scientific discoveries, artistic discoveries are built on the bones of its predecessors.  It seems ludicrous to me to have to reinvent something that has already been explored.  All styles and techniques are worthy to be reexamined and rediscovered.  It is what we as artist's do.

So the reason I have sort of a bee in my britches over this isssue is that I am amazed at how many of my students seem surprised that I am willing to share my ideas with them.  Of course I'm going to share my ideas.  Art MUST grow!  It must move forward.

I have absolutely no fear that someone is going to "steal" my style and run with it.  Let them, but it won't be my style.  They may use my techniques but it will never be mine and anything I do will not be there's.  It is probable that other artists using certain techniques of mine will grow in directions that I would have never thought of.   In some cases perhaps better.  So be it!  That is a good thing.  If nothing else it keeps me motivated to stay on top of my game.

So for those teachers worried about someone stealing you "secrets"...well you have the choice not to teach or share those secrets.  Of course, by now,  you know how I feel about that point of view.

The reason I am so avid about this position of sharing is that, to me, art is sacred and magical.  It is perhaps one of the most sacred and magical things we have on this earth.   The idea of keeping artistic ideas, techniques and thoughts hidden from other artists seems like an spit in the face of everything that I hold as divine in the Universe.  It is sacrilegious to everything that I believe as an artist.  I believe, as an artist I am here to explore this place through my eyes and hands.  At some point I will have shuffled off this mortal coil.  What greater honor is there than inspiring others and knowing you have contributed to the continuity of the artistic timeline.  Before I die that is what I hope I can achieve, but I can't achieve it unless I am willing to share."

12 comments:

Micki Wilde said...

Fabulous, I have always been a sharer, I may not have much but what I do have i'm willing to share :)

Micki x

Diva Kreszl said...

so very well put, oh that everyone would agree with you, the world would be a much nicer place!

sMacThoughts said...

I mostly agree...though there are those who may borrow or steal techniques to do their work, and I have no problem with that; while others might straight out *copy* with no artistic intent involved, which I do not respect in any way.

chrissy said...

tara..i saw your comment on mindy lacefields blog about how the world needs more nice people and i thought...i bet SHE (you) is nice herself.
and
you are.
loved how your blog post was all about an artist who has "got" it in the nice catagory.
as a re.budding artist myself, it.s so wonderful when you creative ones share your knowledge.
i love that and really appreciate it.
thanks for this post.
YOUR ART ROCKS!
c

Cindi Myers said...

Thanks so much for this!
I hate when I see someone copying down every detail of someone else's work and it had created a fear in me. I would never want to do that and so I was always hestitate on borrowing techniques and now I realize what a learning experiences it can be and how I don't/can't "recreate the wheel"! So thanks for setting my creative thoughts free!

sheba said...

excellent! I has been odd to me to hear so many teachers at artfest, complain about people copying them... hello! don't teach then. I love these thoughts and it makes me like Michael even more as a teacher and an artist.

Tara's Art Camp said...

This is such a great conversation and I am so glad Michael wrote about it.

Sheba, YES, if you don't want people to learn from you don't teach, I've heard that too!

chrissy, thank you so much, and thank you for stopping by my blog!

susi said...

i so agree with everyone! it's so funny to take a class and have the instructor say that. really, then don't have a class. well said michael and tara for bringing to my attention. thanks for SHARING - really.

Courtney Corey said...

I totally agree! I teach and perform. And the two go hand in hand. One does not trump the other - as far as the experiences go. I have spent years honing my craft as a performer, so why not share my secrets with others? It helps them, it makes me feel like there is a reason for my craft. Love to know that other artists value "paying it forward" as much as I do.

Mary Stanley said...

Love what Michael wrote..I so agree...thanks for putting it on your blog for everyone to read!

Dori Patrick said...

I totally agree! What a great post!

Nancy Standlee said...

Bravo, bravo! Robert Burridge says it has all been done before but not by you. It's difficult to even copy yourself as you move on and not that same person when the piece was originally painted.